Car News, Specs and Reviews

Mercedes C63 S AMG

A concoction devised to destroy fuel and tyres in the shortest possible time is proof that the smaller V8 lives in nobody’s shadow.

One hundred kilometers, an early smudge on the C 63’s expansive and legit 290km/h dial, thunders by 4.0 seconds after lead-footing the accelerator. But what Mercedes doesn’t tell you is that doing so bonfires the rear tyres in a cloud of acrylic smoke, for the first two gears… hell, first two lanes.

So, there I am steering into a slide that’s 100-metres young, furiously short shifting the paddles, and asking the rear Michelin tyres to diligently paint 375kW and 700Nm to the tarmac. Launch control in the Mercedes C 63 S is a contest of medieval power against highly sophisticated electronics, each trying to gain the ascendancy.

RACE MODE AND ESC OFF unlocks the next stage, which you consent to by pulling both paddles and then the right one. Once you let off the brake, C 63 S is placed on a trajectory determined by how much grip there is and where it lies.

AMG S; that “S” tips the scales further, mutating a normal AMG into an uncensored beast for those possessing the know-how needed to tame something more nutty. More power is stirred from the V8 twin turbo, which, like all AMG engines, is handbuilt by one man, and then personally signed off, like an artist valuing his finished painting.

THAT INKY CURSIVE sits there under the bonnet, along with the sight of two turbochargers squeezed between two angry halves of V8 power. That old, 6.2-litre V8 relic is replaced by something modem, lighter, and cleaner, but time for mourning was brief… about as long as it took to locate the button that activates deafening flaps in the exhaust. Living inside those four pipes are remnants of that engine, bombing along in a destructive wake, and snarling amidst the hiss of the glowing turbochargers. Proper pissed off and calmed only by massive carbon ceramic brakes.

FUEL BURNS OFF in seconds to the effect of 20 litres for every 100 kilometres. So, alternatively, soften the dampers and subdue those thuds hammered forth from the gearbox by dialling one of the more sedate modes. Snug seats, quilted in a diamond pattern of S-Class craftsmanship, provide just enough time to put on your bravest face before the next wave of AMG attack, which is happening soon with the imminent arrival of the sleeker C 63 S Coupe version. The V8 is back and meaner than ever.